Oxford strip club apologizes for liquor violations

Published Wednesday January 30, 2013 at 6:00 am

Selectmen received an apology Tuesday night from the owner of Oxco Inc., doing business in Oxford as Centerfolds 2000, after the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission suspended the alcoholic beverages license of the strip club for six days, ending today, for alleged violations of the law that prohibits refilling liquor bottles.

In their statement of facts, commission investigators said they were investigating Centerfolds “in response to a complaint of tampering with alcoholic liquor bottles.”

The investigators reported meeting with night manager Peter Allard and day manager Maril Muska, who said Sobieski Vodka was their best seller, but the investigators said Sobieski was not available for sale in the bar area.

The investigators reported finding in storage 40 open bottles of “higher cost or more expensive brands of liquor such as Grey Goose vodka, Bacardi rum, and Southern Comfort whiskey” with pourers, and sealed bottles of less expensive brands, “such as Sobieski vodka, Ron Robert rum and Southern Host whiskey.”

Richard McCabe, owner of Oxco, said that before ABCC investigators found the alleged violations, “certain individuals,” including the day manager, had ordered liquor for him, and “I didn’t realize how they were keeping costs down.”

He said that since the incident, he hired Mr. Allard to work at the club full time, and “let other people go.”

Commission investigators had claimed that Mr. Allard had been uncooperative with them, but Mr. McCabe disputed that and said Mr. Allard “was in the middle of a shift change,” so he could not give investigators the full attention they wanted.

Mr. McCabe’s lawyer, Jonathan Finkelstein of Worcester, said Mr. Allard will be responsible for ordering beer, and Mr. McCabe will be responsible for ordering liquor from now on, and “only two people will be allowed in the liquor storage area.”

Mr. Finkelstein also said Centerfolds will only be open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and Mr. McCabe will be “transferring the license in the near future.”

“As an owner, you are responsible,” Selectman Michael Voas said, “Why would someone who works for you be involved in a shady practice?”

“We can’t prove it,” Mr. Finkelstein said, “but we feel there was also theft by employees.”

Mr. McCabe said, “I am very embarrassed to be here. The bad press and public humiliation is worse.”